Hydrogen in amorphous germanium-carbon

This work shows the study of the hydrogen influences in the structural prop erties of amorphous germanium-carbon alloys prepared by the RF cosputtering technique. The films were prepared in the all range of carbon content, fro m 0-100 at.%. The study of hydrogen properties was performed using thermal desorption, infrared and Raman spectroscopes. All the samples have total hy drogen content smaller than 25 at.%, indicating that the films have low pre sence of polymeric sites, bonded to germanium and carbon. The effusion spec tra indicate that the hydrogen atoms are strongly bonded to germanium and c arbon. The exo-diffusion promotes the increase in the concentration of germ anium-carbon bonds, and graphite clusters. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. A ll rights reserved.